German offenlengungsschrift No. 2837127 to W. Van Oord and Co. B.V. discloses packaging of plastics material suitable for production in a packaging machine. The packaging comprises an outer pack and an inner pack in which goods such as meat can be packed. The outer pack serves as a protective casing for the inner pack. The inner pack is preferably evacuated of air and so that the inner pack material shapes to the contour of the goods, such as meats, which are within the inner pack, by reason of the external air pressure pushing the inner pack onto the meats. The inner pack may contain a gas which will enhance the keeping of the packaged goods. There is a space between the inner pack and the outer pack and this is filled with atmosphere. The shelf life of the packaged goods is limited.
British Patent Specification No. 1,392,580 to Standard Packaging Corp. discloses a similar type of packaging. This packaging comprises an outer plastics material base into which the goods, such as red meats, are placed. A composite lid is provided which seals the goods within the base. A desired gas can be provided within the package to enhance the keeping of the goods therein. The composite lid is such that it has two layers. The outermost layer can be peeled from the innermost layer to permit oxygen in the atmosphere to pass through the oxygen permeable inner layer and assist in restoring the red colour to the meat which may have been lost due to the storage time of the packaged goods. The inner layer therefore still provides a cover and a seal for preventing ingress of foreign material. The shelf life of the packaged goods is limited due to the limited volume of the desired gas which can be packaged within the package and which is used to assist the keeping qualities of the packaged goods.
British Patent Specification No. 1,199,998 to Unilever Ltd. discloses a similar type of packaging. Two distinctly different embodiments are disclosed.
(a) The first comprises packaging with a base into which desired goods, such as red meats, are inserted. A first film lid is placed over the goods to seal them within the base. A desired gas to enhance the keeping qualities of the packaged goods can be provided under the first film lid. A second film lid is placed over the first film lid and seals a desired gas under pressure between the first film lid and the second film lid. This desired gas may also be for enhancing the keeping qualities of the packaged goods. The first film lid is gas permeable. The second film lid is gas impermeable and the gas which is under the second film lid can therefore permeate through the first film lid to contact the packaged goods to enhance the keeping qualities thereof. Thus, the entire volume of gas in the package which equals the volume of the package minus the volume of the packaged goods, can be utilized for enhancing the keeping qualities of the packaged goods. This packaging has shortcomings owing to the fact that the packaged goods are not skin wrapped within the package and therefor this package is not readily acceptable for the attractive presentation of the goods.
(b) The second packaging comprises a total skin wrapping of the packaged goods but the skin packing materials are not adhered to the base or outer packaging. Hence the packaged goods can flop around within the package. This does not provide a package which is readily acceptable for the attractive presentation of the goods.
All of the above packaging has inherent problems with regard to cost of raw materials, cost of production, inability to be made easily in a single packaging machine, and undesirable appearance to the customer. Some of the above problems have been addressed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,271 where the packaged goods are skin wrapped relative to the base of the packaging and wherein there is provided a lid over the packaging. The space between the lid and the skin wrapping contains a desired gas which can permeate through the skin wrapping material and thereby assist in the keeping qualities of the packaged goods.